Wednesday, August 10, 2016

On his bobblehead night left fielder Howie Kendrick helped propel the Dodgers over the Phillies, 9-3, and pushed the team into a first place tie with the Giants. He recorded two hits; including a two-run homer in the second inning and a run scoring double in the fifth inning. This victory marked the third game in a row in which they have scored eight runs or more. Per Doug Padilla at ESPN:

"I think it's just coincidence," Kendrick said about the group hot
streak. "A lot of guys have been putting in the same work all year and
you are starting to see some of the fruits of the labor. Hopefully we
can continue to do the same thing and keep the ball rolling. Our
pitching has been giving us the opportunity to win. Even when we have
gotten down early, guys have battled back and we've put runs on the
board and been able to do it that way."

In the meantime, there's no need for celebration yet. The Dodgers have a long way to go.

"The job's not done yet, so you keep going," said rookie Corey Seager, who had two more hits. "You can celebrate it at the end."

This Day in Dodgers History: In 1979 Hall of Famer Don Sutton set a Dodgers franchise record with his 50th shutout. He surpassed Don Drysdale on the Dodgers' all-time list. In 1995 fans at Dodger Stadium force the Dodgers to forfeit that evenings game against the Cardinals when for a third time they throw promotional giveaway baseballs onto the field during play. The game was forfeited in the ninth inning after the ejections of Tommy Lasorda and Pedro Guerrero with the Dodgers trailing, 2-1. Here is the boxscore, via Baseball Reference.

Depth -- Dodgers officials prattled on all offseason and into the spring about how they were building depth to withstand injuries. Well, the team is 22-13 since ace left-hander Clayton Kershaw last pitched. And new manager Dave Roberts is overseeing a marked cultural shift, one that also appears to be making an impact.

Forget the pretty-boy Dodgers, the soft teams of years past. As Roberts puts it, “I want the grinder in this beautiful white Dodgers uniform – the grinder underneath.”

Kershaw and second baseman Chase Utley epitomize that type of player, the type who burns to be great. Third baseman Justin Turner, infielder/outfielder Howie Kendrick and rookie shortstop Corey Seager are among the other Dodgers who display similar grit, and center fielder Joc Pederson also is developing it, club officials say. Right fielder Yasiel Puig, on the other hand, is pretty much the opposite of a grinder, which helps explain why he is in Triple-A.

FYI, for those of you in Oklahoma City or planning to be there by
Friday, this is for you. The Oklahoma City Dodgers are giving away a
Corey Seager bobblehead to the first 2,000 fans in attendance. For tickets go here. You can
see the bobble on the right, via OKC Dodgers on twitter.

“When I got the call [Sunday] night, it was emotional. It was along the same level as my debut, just because of what I went through,” Ravin said after the Dodgers’ victory.

“It was so extreme in just a short amount of time, so when I did get that call it was emotional for me.”

We might come to regret trading Jharel Cotton. Via Josh Jackson at MiLB.com; "Cotton comes within one out of perfection: In second start in A's system, righty fans 12 in one-hitter for Sounds." He was one out away from a perfect game before giving up a triple in the ninth inning.

What the heck is this? This coming Saturday is "Dora the Explorer" Night at the RC Quakes game. This is what our minor leaguers will be wearing, via a tweet by OT Sports Unis:

"I know our loyal LA fan base has been waiting for this moment for a
long time," said the pitcher, who is currently on the disabled list with
a back injury.

"To celebrate their return and welcome the Rams
back to our city, it seemed fitting to send the team limited edition
bottles of Johnnie Walker Blue Label: Year of the Ram. I look forward to
watching them play for many seasons to come. Here's to a new beginning,
great success and a winning season!"

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“There’s nothing like wearing a Dodger jersey. There’s nothing like it in sports. I don’t care that I’ve never been anywhere else. I don’t care. There’s nothing like wearing a Dodger jersey.” -- A.J. Ellis